Accessibility Links

Rebel shareholders ready to throw book at Ferguson

By Ashling OConnor

February 4 2004, 12:00am, The Times

JOHN MAGNIER and J. P. McManus, Manchester United’s rebel shareholders, are to use Sir Alex Ferguson’s own words to discredit claims that he is not closely involved in transfer dealings. Cubic Expression, the Irishmen’s investment company that owns 25.49 per cent of United, has written to the board to query statements made by the manager last week in which he defended his position.

It is understood that the latest letter from Cubic Expression’s lawyers to Sir Roy Gardner, the chairman, will cite 32 extracts from Ferguson’s autobiography, Managing My Life, in which he writes about his contact with footballers and their agents. One extract has Ferguson outlining a typical involvement with a player’s representative. “The routine might start with agent X phoning me, letting me…